Instant Insights: Vertical farming in horticulture
About this ebook
The first chapter describes and evaluates technologies and methods for growing edible plants indoors and presents a survey of selected commercial vertical farms currently operating that employ them.
The second chapter explores the benefits of plant factories with artificial lighting (PFALs). The chapter assesses resource consumption, costs and performance of current PFALs, as well as methods for reducing resource consumption and production costs.
The third chapter explores recent advances in the ornamentals industry, such as vertical propagation systems and LED technology, and how these can be implemented to meet the challenges of a changing marketplace and societal demands.
The fourth chapter describes the advantages and disadvantages of hydroponics, along with the equipment and substrates used, and also examines soilless/hydroponic growing systems for vegetables.
The final chapter describes the most recent innovation in hydroponic technologies for plant cultivation within cities and their adaptability to the urban fabric.
About the author
Dr Toyoki Kozai is the former President of Chiba University, Japan, where he is now an Emeritus Professor. Professor Kozai is also the Honorary President of the Japan Plant Factory Association (JPFA) and a former President of The Agricultural Academy of Japan. As a pioneer of indoor plant factories with artificial lighting (PFALs), also referred to as indoor vertical farming, Professor Kozai is widely regarded as one of the founding figures in PFALs, and vertical farming. He has edited a number of books on PFALs and is the author of over 300 publications on controlled environment agriculture technologies.
Dr Eri Hayashi is the President of the JPFA, where she is also the Director of International Relations and Consulting. Eri was Research Project Leader for a national project on Artificial Intelligence- and Phenotyping-based Smart Plant Factories with Artificial Lighting (PFALs). She leads a number of international projects on technology development, has given presentations at a number of international conferences, and has written widely on the topic of smart plant factories. She was a co-convener of the Symposium of Advances in Vertical Farming at the 31st International Horticultural Congress (IHC 2022). She led the JPFA in organizing the first JPFA International Symposium on Plant Factory (ISPF 2023) at Kashiwanoha, Japan.
